Keep Your Heart
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Proverbs 4:23
The neighbor across the street has the best yard in the neighborhood. You never see a tall blade of grass. Not even around the edging that surrounds the flower bed. There is not a weed to be found. The bushes are trimmed uniformly near the windows.
Does this beautiful yard just happen by chance?
No, it happens by the diligent work of the neighbor.
I see him out in his yard every day, doing something to keep his yard looking this way. Cutting the grass, weed eating, turning on a sprinkler, pulling weeds by hand…
Our neighbor is “vigilant” against any weeds or tall grass that would mar the beauty of his yard.
In the same way it takes vigilance to “keep our heart.”
This passage is not referring to the blood pumping muscle inside of us, but rather to our affections.
We speak of someone we love as “having our heart.”
Who, or what has your heart?
The rich young ruler went away from Jesus, because his heart was set on his riches.
Martha’s heart was set on making a perfect dinner instead of spending time with Jesus.
Demas left Paul because he was “…in love with this present world…”
Is your heart set on the tumultuous events happening around you?
Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.” John 14:1
Remember to love God above all else. “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:37-39
Keep God first. Love Him with all of your being.
Our heart, our affections can easily be moved from God. It takes vigilance to guard our hearts from it. Keep the tall grass and weeds cut!
